Hedera helix ‘Erecta’ – Ornemental Ivy

Hedera helix ‘Erecta’, a shrub ivy

To find your way around the great diversity of ivies, they can be classified in different ways.

One of the most classic and scientific is the classification by species , based on botanical criteria. But we quickly realize that the species Hedera helix is composed of hundreds, if not thousands of cultivars, which encourages us to look for additional classification criteria.

Another commonly used classification system for ivy is the Pierot system , named after the first president and founder of the American Ivy Society, Mrs. Suzanne Warner Pierot. This system is simply based on the general appearance of the plant. It classifies them into 9 categories. It has the advantage of being very simple and suggestive. But it is quite approximate, because the same ivy can be classified into several categories.

Another classification is based on the stage of development reached by the ivy: juvenile, semi-adult, adult. But it must be understood that the same variety can go through each of these three stages successively, of course.

Finally, a fourth system is based on the port . We will say in particular that ivy is either creeping, climbing, bushy or shrubby. But here too, the same variety can be both creeping and climbing depending on the circumstances and the environment.

It is therefore often necessary to use several of these classifications to characterize a particular ivy.

The ornamental ivy, Hedera helix ‘Erecta ‘, would thus be classified among the species Hedera helix, in the “Curiosities” category of the Pierot classification; it is an ivy in the juvenile stage. Finally, regarding the shape, we will say that it is a shrubby ivy because its stems are erect, straight, a bit like a shrub. They are also rather woody like those of shrubs. It can thus reach almost 1 meter high, without support or crampons.